About Me

I feel I am able to communicate
well and I have a good grounding
in people skills.......Basically
all humanity is the same!
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The foundation of this blog was cemented by the Assassination of Hrant Dink on 19.01.07. I was listening to Setrak Setrakian’s rendition of Arno Babajanian’s composition, Elegy. So
moved by Hrant’s shortened life by the virtue of speaking his mind that I wrote the poem, ‘Without You’ with Hrant's family in mind. The subject matter of the recognition of the ‘Genocide of the Armenians in 1915,’ is very much at the heart and the minds of Armenian's Internationally.
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I want to say: 'Thank you,'
to Keith for the Creation
and Launch of,
Seta's Armenian.blogspot.com
and Armenag for the sources
of information.
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If you feel it would be appropriate, please include a link to my Blog from your Site. I would like my Blog to be as eclectic as possible and include material from as many and different sources so long as it is relevant to my subject matter.

About My Blog

This well-established Blog is worth visiting on a regular basis for a wealth of information of interest to Armenian nationals and to the Armenian Diaspora world-wide. Although it has a particular role in promoting international recognition of the Genocide, the Blog encompasses much more and includes many articles of general appeal to all those concerned with Armenian affairs. Much of the content is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere and the long list of links provided gives easy access to a plethora of material on social, political, religious, educational and cultural matters, and many news items from around the world.

Sunday, 30 September 2007

NEW YORK - Turkey's Prime Minister has used a meeting with representatives of the US Jewish community to reject allegations that the Ottoman Empire committed an act of genocide against its Armenian citizens in 1915.

Meeting with representatives of groups including the Conference of Presidents, the Appeal of Conscience, the Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Congress, and Bnai Brith International in New York late Wednesday Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the genocide claims as baseless. The allegations were not supported by any scientific or historical grounding.

"The Prime Minister also recalled Turkey's call to Armenia to establish a joint commission to study historical facts, and stated that Turkey expected the Jewish community to confirm its support against the "baseless allegations," a statement issued after the meeting said.

Following the meeting, Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), said that at times there could be disagreement between friends, referring to the League having accepted the events of 1915 as being tantamount to genocide. However, Foxman said that the issue should not be the subject of a resolution of the US Congress.

"We believe that a matter between Turkey and Armenia related to history should be tackled between the two parties, not in the US Congress or the parliament of any other country," he said. "This is not a political matter and those in the Congress are not historians."

"I believe that we should focus on the future, not the past. If the Jewish community, the United States and the Congress are willing to assist they should bring together Turkey and Armenia for the grandchildren of the two parties."

[Excerpt from Charlie Rose interview with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The final five minutes of the broadcast are given below]Charlie Rose: Thank you for this time. It's very good to see you again and I look forward to...

PM Erdogan: One more thing I want to say if you'll let me. We don't always have this opportunity to appear on television so i would like to take this opportunity to say the following: Most recently, there has been a lot of discussion about this so-called Armenian genocide issue. There is a wrong approach here. This issue is not first and foremost an issue for us, the politicians, to deal with. It must first be discussed by historians. I wrote a letter to President Kocharian to ask him to come together with us and establish a commission - a joint commission - that would include archaelogists, political scientists, legal experts, historians, and others, and I said that we should put all our archives at each other's disposal. We opened our archives and I asked him to open theirs if they had archives, and the third countries can also do the same and avail their archives. So this joint commission could then work in these archives and we could then look at the reports and once we get those reports we could then reach a decision because if there has been a crime we are ready to settle our accounts with our history. But we know that that is not the case. So it would be wrong to misrepresent this situation. We should not give the opportunity to those who want to somehow make use of the situation. I have Armenian citizens in my country and everyone knows how freely they live in Turkey. And I just want to say that it would be wrong to generalize certain individual issues...cases. The generalization should not be made victim of individual cases. Ever since we came to government we have now direct flights between the two countries. On the eastern part of Turkey there is an island called Akhtamar on Lake Van and on that island there is an Armenian church and we restored that church by using our money, government treasury money, and it has been opened, the church is open. So there is no problem with their lives in Turkey.

Charlie Rose: I'm glad you brought that up and obviously that was what...it's an important issue raised by the Armenians and whether there was a genocide in the early 20th century. It's an [inaudible]. You seem to be saying that you're prepared to see a thorough investigation of this issue and look at all the facts and then to characterize it for what it was. And if in fact it was a genocide you're prepared to recognize it, but you firmly believe it wasn't.

PM Erdogan: That is absolutely right. And we're saying that nevertheless it should be researched. It should be looked at. And we did already open our archives for that research. More than one million documents are available now. And if Yerevan did the same, why not? If there are third countries, if they have any documentation, they should make them available. Why not? Let's move forward with this. Why should we be afraid? Why should anyone be afraid? Why are they afraid? Where are the documents? Because you cannot have this accusation without facts. The lobbies and the discussions, those cannot be sufficient to judge a country like Turkey.

Charlie Rose: I hear you saying, or at least feeling, that Turkey has to resolve this issue.

CASEY: The U.S. position on the events of the beginning of the last century is unchanged. You can look at our annual statements on that. And I would refer you to that language; it's very specifically crafted, and I don't have it in my head right now, so I wouldn't want to mislead anybody.

In terms of what former secretaries of state may or may not have done by way of action on this issue, I'd, frankly refer you to them. They are private citizens. [!!!] And I assume if they made representation to Speaker Pelosi on this, they did so because they believed it was the right thing to do.

QUESTION: And your position?

CASEY: U.S. position on this issue has not changed. Again, I'd refer you back to our previous statements on it.

Fearing an imminent vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106), Turkey's multi-million dollar lobbyists have solicited the assistance of eight former US Secretaries of State in seeking to derail this human rights legislation, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA.).

"Facing a growing bipartisan Congressional majority demanding passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, Turkey's lobbyists - out of desperation and a never ending desire to squeeze more billing dollars out of Ankara - have turned to the very architects of our government's failed policy of appeasing Turkey," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "Sadly, successive US administrations have found themselves lacking the moral courage to end the cycle of genocide - from Cambodia, to Rwanda and, today in Darfur - precisely because of their legacy of caving in to, rather than confronting genocidal regimes."

"We are, as Americans, especially troubled that, in warning Congress not to make a simple anti-genocide statement for fear of upsetting Turkey, these officials would outsource our nation's moral conscience>to a foreign government," added Hamparian.>>In their September 25th jointly-signed letter, former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright, James Baker III, Warren Christopher, Laurence Eagleburger, Alexander Haig, Jr., Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, and George Schultz, urged Speaker Pelosi to "prevent the resolution from reaching the House Floor," thereby denying House Members an opportunity to vote their conscience on the Armenian Genocide. The former State Department officials expressed concern that passage of the resolution "could endanger our national security interests in the region, including our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and damage efforts to promote reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey.

Armenia condemned on Friday eight former U.S. secretaries of state for jointly speaking out against the passage of a congressional resolution that refers to the 1915-1918 mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as a genocide.

In a joint letter on Tuesday, the former officials urged the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to keep the resolution from reaching the House floor, saying its adoption would jeopardize America's national security and further strain Turkish - Armenian relations. While recognizing the "horrible tragedy" suffered by Ottoman Armenians, the signatories -- among them Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger -- emphasized Turkey's "geo-strategic importance" for the United >States.

"Passage of the resolution would harm our foreign policy objectives to promote reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia," they said. "It would also strain our relations with Turkey, and would endanger our national security interests in the region, including the safety of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Oskanian specifically denied the former state secretaries' claim that there are now "some hopeful signs" of a Turkish - Armenian >rapprochement. "I regret to say that there is no process in place to promote normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. Expressing concern about damaging a process that doesn't exist is disingenuous," he said, adding that Ankara is sticking to its preconditions for establishing diplomatic relations with Yerevan.

One of those preconditions has been an end to the decades-long Armenian campaign for international recognition of the genocide. Ankara also makes the normalization of Turkish - Armenian relations conditional on a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would satisfy Azerbaijan. Successive Turkish governments have refused to drop these preconditions despite pressure from the current and previous U.S. administrations.

Oskanian said he has written to Pelosi to "express our deep concerns and to dismiss as unfounded any implication that a resolution that addresses matters of human rights and genocide could damage anyone's bilateral relations."

The ex-secretaries' letter was also condemned by Armenian - American lobby groups that were behind the genocide resolution's introduction in the U.S. Congress early this year. "We are, as Americans, especially troubled that, in warning Congress not to make a simple anti-genocide statement for fear of upsetting Turkey, these officials would outsource our nation's moral conscience to a foreign government," Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, said in a statement.

The draft resolution calls on President George W. Bush to "ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding" of the Armenian genocide and to "accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide." It has already been co-sponsored by most members of the House of >Representatives. Pelosi, who has backed similar bills in the past, is expected to put it to the vote this fall.

The Bush administration strongly opposes the bill's passage with arguments similar to the ones made by the eight former secretaries of state.

In his annual messages to the Armenian - American community, Bush has described the 1915 slaughter of more than one million Armenians as one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century but stopped short of calling it a genocide. He has at the same time cited a 2002 international study which concluded that the massacres meet the internationally accepted definition of genocide.

TEXT OF FORMER SECRETARIES OF STATE LETTER TO SPEAKER PELOSI:

September 25, 2007

The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker of the House of RepresentativesWashington, DC 20515-0508

Dear Madam Speaker:

We are writing to express concern that H. Res. 106 could soon be put to a vote. Passage of the resolution would harm our foreign policy objectives to promote reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia. It would also strain our relations with Turkey, and would endanger our national security interests in the region, including the safety of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We do not minimize or deny the enormous significance of the horrible tragedy suffered by ethnic Armenian from 1915 to 1923. During our tenures as Secretaries of the State, we each supported Presidential statements recognizing the mass killings and forced exile of Armenians. It has been longstanding U.S. policy to encourage reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia and to urge the government of Turkey to acknowledge the tragedy. We understand the Administration continues to urge the Turkish government to reexamine its history and to encourage both Turkey and Armenia to work towards reconciliation, including normalizing relations and opening the border. There are some hopeful signs already that both parties are engaging each other. We believe that a public statement by the U.S. Congress at this juncture is likely to undermine what has been painstakingly achieved to date.

We must also recognize the important contributions Turkey is making to U.S. national security, including security and stability in the Middle East and Europe. The United States continues to rely on Turkey for its geo-strategic importance. Turkey is an indispensable partner to our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, helping U.S military with access to Turkish airspace, military bases, and the border crossing with Iraq, Turkey is a linchpin in the transshipment of vital cargo and fuel resources to U.S. troops, coalition partners and Iraqi civilians. Turkish troops serve shoulder-to-shoulder with distinction with U.S. and other NATO allies in the Balkans. Turkey is also a transit hub for non-OPEC oil and gas and remains key to our effort s to help the Euro-Atlantic community bolster its energy security by providing alternative supply sources and routes around Russia and Iran.

It is our view that passage of this resolution could quickly extend beyond symbolic significance. The popularly elected Turkish Grand National Assembly might react strongly to a House resolution, as it did to a French National Assembly resolution a year ago. The result could endanger our national security interests in the region, including our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and damage efforts to promote reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey. We strongly urge you to prevent the resolution from reaching the house floor.

HALF OF UNEMPLOYED IN ARMENIA PEOPLE WITHIN 35-50 YEARS OLD>ARKA News Agency, Armenia>Sept 28 2007>>YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. Almost half of the unemployed in Armenia>are people within 35-50 years old, said Consultant of Armenian "Ameria">Company Karen Martirosyan, when presenting the results of the research>on the country's labor market.>>"According to the Company's research, people within 35-50 years old>are 51% of citizens who have the status of unemployed. 55.7% fell to>citizens of this age who have been looking for job over 3 years, 33.5%>- disabled, and 31.7% - people who look for work for the first time,">he said.>>Martirosyan said that the research was conducted in seven so-called>risk groups that these people belong to: those who seek work for the>first time, disabled people, previous prisoners, demobilized from army,>children that reached labor age and are left without parents' care,>people who have the status of unemployed over 3 years, unemployed,>registered in the territorial employment centers.>>According to the data provided by Martirosyan, 45.9% of citizens>involved in risk groups had secondary education, 28.7% - specialized>secondary education, 12.6% - higher education, 0.1% - scientific>degree, 2.1% - had no education.>>"17.5% of citizens of the risk group have working experience of 10-15>years, 16.3% - 15-20 years, 15.4% - 5-10 years, 14.2% - 20-25 years.>>The majority were citizens with the working experience 30-35 years>(5.6%), another 5.5% - over 35 years," the expert said.>>According to the Armenian National Statistical Service, the>average number of unemployed in Armenia was 84,900 people (7.3%)>in January-August.>>The research of "Ameria" was conducted in February-March 2007>in Yerevan and all the regions of Armenia. 1,200 citizens, 520>organizations and 25 experts participated in the survey.>>"Ameria" is a group of companies providing complex professional>services. It specializes in four main sectors of professional activity:>consulting management, audit, bookkeeping and tax consulting, legal>consulting, investment-banking services.>>>Tales from the 'Black Garden'>By Stephanie Holmes>BBC News>September 28, 2007>>The lives of thousands of young Azeris and Armenians have been scarred>by the bitter conflict over a mountainous region whose name means>"Black Garden".>>I kept asking God: 'Why? Why?' Every day, every hour, I asked: 'Why?'>Nobody answered me.>Vafa Farajova, Azeri journalist>>Some 30,000 people were killed during the war over Nagorno-Karabakh in>the early 1990s, and little progress towards peace has been made since>a 1994 ceasefire.>>The struggle for the mainly Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan>remains unresolved, and hundreds of thousands of people are waiting to>return to their former homes.>>For nearly 20 years Azeris and Karabakh Armenians have had no contact>with one another.>>But a group of young journalists from both sides, who grew up during>the war, are now taking part in a project that brings them together to>make short documentary films.>>They explore the impact of war on the two communities and the>absurdities of daily life under the conditions of frozen conflict.>>Massive expulsions>>The shared background for all the film-makers is what Laurence Broers,>an expert on the South Caucasus with conflict resolution group>Conciliation Resources, describes as the "massive mutual expulsions">caused by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.>>One million Azeris were driven out of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding>regions by Armenian forces, or fled homes in Armenia.>>Some 400,000 Armenians were also displaced from Azerbaijan or the>border regions of Armenia.>>Twenty-year-old Suzanna Seyranyana, a Karabakh foreign language>student, was apprehensive about meeting Azeris through the project.>>"Before, I thought that the Azeris were our enemies, I never thought>I'd be able to sit down with them, to have a cup of tea and a chat,>but during the project I met Azeris for the first time and they've>become my friends. I didn't feel any barriers between us," she said.>>A dream>>"I realised that it is not our fault," she continued. "People aren't>guilty - neither Azeris nor Armenians. It was war. It feels like a>dream, sitting with them, talking to them.">>Yet there is reluctance, by both Armenians and Azeris to remember,>recount and relive their experiences of childhood.>>"I was five years old when the war broke out. I saw everything. I>lived in a shelter for about two years. There was no light, no>nothing. It was awful. I don't want to remember that period," Suzanna>said, speaking quietly.>>Vafa Farajova, a bright-eyed 31-year-old Azeri teacher and journalist>explained: "We have forgotten our childhood and school-years.">>But she still has vivid memories of abandoning her home in Zangelan,>one of seven districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by>Armenian forces during the conflict.>>"When we fled, all the routes to Baku were closed, all the districts>were occupied by Armenians so we had to escape across the river, via>Iran," she said.>>"We left everything - our home, everything... We didn't take my>clothes, my pictures, my dresses or shoes. I felt awful, I cried. I>kept asking God 'Why? Why?' Armenians and Azerbaijanis had had such>good relations. Every day, every hour, I asked 'Why?' Nobody answered>me.">>Sense of the absurd>>Making the films, which involved joint training sessions, gave them>the chance to express their frustration about a conflict they see as>senseless.>>A film by Azeri journalist Madina Nik-Najat, titled "The>Bug-gobblers", unravels how conflicts begin, and the role of seemingly>irrelevant differences in behaviour.>>It juxtaposes members of two neighbouring groups, explaining why they>simply cannot get on, mentioning different speeds of talking and>methods of baking bread. The audience at a screening in London's>Institute of Contemporary Arts laughed out loud.>>Madina describes the film as "almost a comedy, showing that conflict>will be present whenever there is difference".>>Vafa's film introduces the audience to a former solider, blinded in>battle, who bears the scars of the bullet which robbed him of his>sight at his temple.>>He has rebuilt his life. He has returned to university to become a>teacher, got married and had a child but, asked if he would return to>the battlefield, he replies unhesitatingly: Yes.>>The project, organised partly by Conciliation Resources, aims to>develop dialogue between young people from both sides of the conflict.>>The idea is that the films will be shown to both Armenian and Azeri>audiences, but there is no guarantee that this will happen.>>Sevak Hayrapetyan, a 26-year-old Armenian student, nonetheless says he>hopes the films may help increase understanding between Azeris and>Armenians.>>"The war was incomprehensible for me," he says.>>"I don't know if this project will help end the stalemate but these>are at least small steps.">>>LEVEL OF LAKE SEVAN RISES BY 63 CENTIMETERS SINCE EARLY 2007>Author: Arev Hakobian Editor: Eghian Robert>Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia>Sept 28 2007>>YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Since early 2007, the level of>Lake Sevan has risen by 63 cm and currently makes 1,898.86 meters.>>The RA minister of environmental protection Aram Harutyunian said at>the September 28 press conference held in connection with 100 days>of his tenure that this year, water has been let out of Lake Sevan>since June and the water release from the lake amounted to 144.4 mln>cubic meters as of September 26. Out of 95 ha of forest areas covered>with water due to a rise in the lake's level, 72 ha has been cleaned.>>According to the minister, in 2007, state budget allocations for>increasing the number of endemic fish, including summer trout, grew>by 20 million drams (about 58 thousand dollars) to 29 million 995>thousand drams. This year 15,119 young fishes over 4 grams and 84>thousand newly-hatched ones have been released into the lake.>>A. Harutyunian said that the environmental protection inspection of>the ministry conducted checks of 519 economic entities and revealed>492 violations. With the aim of eliminating these violations, 198>instructions were given, 347 acts on administrative fines of the total>amount of 22.2 bln drams and 118 protocols on damage done to nature>of the total amount of 49 mln drams were compiled. 29.2 mln drams>was transferred to the state budget as a result of imposing penalties.>>PRIME MINISTER OF ARMENIA CALLS ON DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN THE COUNTRY FOR >MORE ACTIVITY>>ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia>Sept 28 2007>>ArmInfo. Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan met with Foreign>Minister of Armenia and the heads of diplomatic missions in the>country.>>The governmental press-service told ArmInfo that Serzh Sargsyan>attracted the attention of Ambassadors at the fulfillment of two key>tasks: protection of Armenian citizens' rights and the interests>of Armenian companies abroad, as well as more active work in the>economic issues, Serzh Sargsyan stressed the necessity for the>embassies elaborating definite programs and making new initiatives.>>He mentioned that one of the most important conditions of the>country's economic development is involvement of a great number of>foreign companies into the country's economy in order to study their>experience, create new jobs and raise the interest to Armenia. Serzh>Sargsyan assured the diplomats that the Armenian Government does>its best to create favorable conditions for the work of embassies>and the draft budget of Armenia for 2008 takes into account all the>proposals of the Foreign Ministry. However, the government has great>expectations also from your activity, the premier said. In their turn,>minister Oskanyan and the diplomats thanked the prime minister and>the government for attention and assistance.NEW HOTEL WITH 124 BEDS OPENS >IN YEREVAN WITH PARTICIPATION OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT>Author: Editor: Eghian Robert>Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia>Sept 28 2007>>YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenia Royal Palace Hotel>opened on September 28 with the participation of the Armenian president>Robert Kocharian. The hotel offers 59 rooms with 124 beds in it. It>belongs to Azat Safarian's family business.>>According to the RA minister of trade and economic development Nerses>Yeritsian, the hotel's owner submitted a bid for receiving a 4-star>category to the ministry's commission on hotel qualification.>>In his words, demand for hotel rooms is still great in Armenia,>particularly in Yerevan. He said that by late 2007, the new concept>of tourism development will be prepared. It will envisage the annual>number of tourists that Armenia can receive in five years. In the>minister's opinion, it is realistic for this index to make one million>tourists. He noted that the achievement of this goal will take much>effort of state and private sector in the marketing sector.>>The head of the tourism development department of the RA ministry of>trade and economic development Mekhak Apresian said that there are>about 70 hotels with nearly 15 thousand beds in Armenia. According to>official statistics, 181,239 tourists visited Armenia in the first>half of 2007 against 132,937 in the same period of 2006. The number>of tourists in 2006 made 381,136 against 318,563 in 2007.

Saturday, 29 September 2007

A BUS travelling from Samsun to Istanbul on September 2nd stopped at a mosque when passengers insisted on saying their daily prayers. Similar demands are heard all over Turkey, says Milliyet, a daily that was bombarded with hate mail from religious hotheads for reporting the Samsun case. In another incident, Gulcan Kose, a 28-year-old divorcee who was wearing a knee-length tunic and leggings, was detained by Istanbul police for "indecent exposure" as she stood with a fellow fisherman on the Galata bridge; she faces charges of resisting the authorities. Many restaurants that once served customers during the Ramadan fast no longer do so.

Corbis

In search of the right message

Turkey's secularists feel cornered. Ataturk's republic, some say, is becoming "another Iran". Their fears have grown since the Justice and Development (AK) party's election victory in July and the subsequent elevation to the presidency, over the army's objections, of Abdullah Gul, a former AK foreign minister. Mr Gul's wife wears the Muslim headscarf, banned in government offices and schools.

Now Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, has said that the headscarf ban should be scrapped in universities. A new constitution planned by the AK to replace one written after the military coup of 1980 includes this change. Many fret that pressure on women to wear the veil, particularly in conservative areas, will intensify if it is allowed on campuses.

Is Turkey turning an Islamic shade of green? AK's first five years in office suggest not. Mr Erdogan did once try to outlaw adultery, and some AK mayors attempted to create alcohol-free zones. But faced with an outcry, such efforts were soon dropped. Even feminists concede that some of the most radical improvements in the lot of women since Ataturk were introduced by AK. And many agree that to deny a woman an education because she is veiled contradicts Ataturk's vision for women.

AK's supporters say the real reason for the secularists' despair is not a fear of Islamism, but because their own power is fading. A new and pious Anatolian bourgeoisie is rising up. The generals are losing their grip. "They are using the headscarf to create an atmosphere of panic in which they [the secular elite] can regain lost ground," argues a senior AK man. If the constitution is adopted in its current form, the army will lose more influence - and Turkey will be a more democratic place.

Yet even liberal intellectuals now sound nervous. Yesim Arat, a political scientist at Bosporus University who dislikes the headscarf ban, laments the use of the new constitution to repeal it. The headscarf is worn in keeping with Islam. "By inserting it into the constitution you are forming law based on religious dictates," Ms Arat says. "This is very problematic."

Some women are similarly spooked by the removal of a clause saying that the state is responsible for ensuring equality between the sexes. There is only one woman in Mr Erdogan's cabinet. AK women, who played a big role in wooing voters, are now being sidelined: one of them, Ayse Bohurler, who opposed Mr Gul's presidency, complained of being labelled "a bitch" by male colleagues. And instead of trying to allay secular fears, Mr Erdogan has told critics to "shut up and mind your own business."

Mr Erdogan says he has no immediate plans to get rid of article 301 of the penal code, which was used to prosecute various writers, including Orhan Pamuk, for "insulting Turkishness". But keeping article 301, say opponents, just confirms that AK is interested only in promoting Islam and defanging the army. The government remains "selective about democracy", claims Umit Kardas, a former army prosecutor and critic of the generals.

When Festus Okey, a Nigerian refugee, was shot dead in an Istanbul police station, no official rebuke was uttered. Mr Kardas blames a law restoring the police's ability to act with impunity for other alleged abuses. None of this augurs well for Turkey's hopes of joining the European Union. It may fall to Mr Gul, a Europhile and undoubted democrat, to restore calm and bolster the AK's secular credentials.

Friday, 28 September 2007

Judicial Body Ends Hearings On Defiant Judge>By Karine Kalantarian>>The presidentially appointed Council of Justice overseeing Armenia's>courts wrapped up Thursday two-day hearings on punitive action sought>by another judicial body against a judge who was responsible for one>of the most sensational acquittals in the country's history.>>The government-controlled Judicial Department instituted disciplinary>proceedings against Pargev Ohanian, a judge of a district court in>Yerevan, on September 4, less than two months after he acquitted two>businessmen controversially prosecuted by the Armenian authorities.>The move, which could result in Ohanian's dismissal, is seen by many>as a retaliation for a rare court defeat suffered by law-enforcement>bodies and the National Security Service (NSS) in particular.>>The Judicial Department claimed that Ohanian committed serious>violations of Armenian law while adjudicating on two dozen criminal>and civil cases. The Council of Justice's Disciplinary Commission>backed the allegations and detailed them at the start of the public>hearings on Wednesday. Most of the alleged violations relate to what>the Judicial Department regards as wrong verdicts handed down by>Ohanian.>>Neither the Judicial Department, nor the Disciplinary Commission>specified just how Ohanian should be sanctioned. Under the Armenian>constitution, the Council of Justice can go as far as to ask>President Robert Kocharian to fire the judge. Hovannes Manukian, a>senior judge who presided over the hearings, said the council will>announce its decision on October 12.>>The judicial bodies found no violations in the July 16 acquittal of>Gagik Hakobian, the main owner of the Royal Armenia coffee packaging>company, and one of its top executives, Aram Ghazarian. They were>arrested and charged with fraud in October 2005 after publicly>accusing senior customs officials of corruption. The NSS demanded>that they be sentenced to at least ten years in prison.>>However, Ohanian dismissed the accusations as baseless and ordered>the immediate release of the two men. It was the first time that the>Armenian successor to the former KGB lost a major court case.>>Addressing the Council of Justice at the end of the hearings, Ohanian>again implied that he believes he is being penalized for his handling>of the Royal Armenia case. `Distinguished Council, do not turn me>into a hero,' he said. `I simply did my job, I carried out justice.>At least, I tried to apply the law.'>>Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian, who also has considerable>influence on the Armenian judiciary, denied this week any link>between the disciplinary action and the Royal Armenia ruling.>>Speaking at the hearings on Wednesday, Ohanian's defense counsel,>Hayk Alumian, dismissed the accusations brought against his client.>`In effect, members of the Disciplinary Commission are calling into>question rulings that went into force in accordance with law,' he>said. `This is inadmissible.'>>Alumian also complained that the department is refusing to specify>when it decided to inspect the work of the defiant judge. `These were>inspections carried out during an unknown period of time because>there are no dates on written results of those inspections,' he said.>`Nor do they contain the names of those people who carried out those>inspections.'>>>ONLY TWO COMPANIES SHOW INTEREST IN ARMENIAN RAILWAY>By M. Alkhazashvili>(Translated by Diana Dundua)>The Messenger, Georgia>Sept 27 2007>>Only two companies-Indian Railways and Russian Railways-are vying>for the Armenian Railways tender, reports the Regnum news agency.>>The financial condition of the two companies, as well as their>technical and practical expertise, will be taken into account before>they are permitted to partake in the tender, and a decision will be>announced on October 15.>>The Armenian government announced in 2006 that it would lease JSC>Armenian Railway for 30 years with the possibility of extending the>term by a further 20 years.>>According to Minister of Communication and Transport Andranik Manukian,>the company which secures the tender must put up an advance of USD>10 million, pay two percent of profit on cargo transportation to the>government, and invest USD 170 million over a ten-year period.>>>>YEREVAN WATER VOWS TO INVEST MILLIONS TO IMPROVE WATER SUPPLIES>ARMENPRESS>Sept 26 2007>>YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: A chief executive of the Yerevan>Water company said today it has invested $8 million since 2006 January>1, to improve water supplies and waste water removal operations in>the Armenian capital.>>Serge Popoff, director general of the company, managed by French>General des Aux, said $3.5 million were invested in infrastructure>improvement and $2.5 million were spent on acquisition of new>equipment.>>Serge Popoff said the company expects to get an $18 million credit>from the World Bank to further improve water supplies and waste>water removal and buy new equipment and machines. He said 17 million>more of US Dollars, to generate from tariffs, will be invested into>the company.>>According to him, about 80 percent of drinking water is lost on the>way to customers. The objective, he said, is to reduce water losses>50 percent in the next ten years. By that time 95 percent of Yerevan>residents will be having 24-hour water supplies.>>Popoff also said a new modern laboratory, worth 120 million Drams,>will be established for regular checks of water quality.>>>WOUNDED MP STILL IN INTENSIVE CARE>By Hovannes Shoghikian and Astghik Bedevian>Radio Liberty, Czech Republic>Sept 27 2007>>A wealthy member of Armenia's parliament affiliated with the governing>Republican Party (HHK) remained in intensive care in a Moscow hospital>on Thursday one day after being shot and seriously wounded at a>local casino.>>Police in the Russian capital, meanwhile, launched a criminal>investigation into what they believe was an attempt on the life of>businessman Tigran Arzakantsian. A senior official at the Moscow>police department, Mikhail Ionkin, told RFE/RL that investigators>have not yet identified the assailants.>>Armenia's Office of the Prosecutor-General said its permanent>representative to Russia met with Russian law-enforcement officials>conducting the inquiry and received assurances that "all necessary>measures are being taken to clarify all circumstances of the murder>attempt and identify the guilty individuals.">>Arzakantsian, who owns one of Armenia's largest brandy companies,>was shot at the casino of Moscow's exclusive Metropol Hotel early>Wednesday in still unclear circumstances. He was rushed to hospital>and underwent surgery that lasted for several hours.>>"His condition is evaluated as grave," Viktor Kaznacheyev, chief>doctor at the Sklifosovsky medical center, told RFE/RL. "He remains>in intensive care.">>According to Eduard Sharmazanov, an HHK spokesman, Arzakantsian, 41,>regained consciousness and was even able to speak on Thursday.>>Both Sharmazanov and a senior HHK lawmaker, Samvel Nikoyan, said they>know few details of the shooting incident but are convinced that the>attackers tried to kill Arzakantsian. In Nikoyan's words, they were>said to have a distinctly Caucasian appearance and may have therefore>been Armenians.>>Arzakantsian, who is reputed to be a keen gambler, had already been>hospitalized after being beaten up at another Moscow casino in March>2006. Reports in the Armenian press attributed the incident to a>gambling dispute, saying that he lost as much as $800,000 on a single>night and failed to pay up. Arzakantsian denied those reports.>>The Russian Regnum news agency cited unnamed law-enforcement sources>as saying said that Arzakantsian was a frequent guest at the Metropol>casino, having visited it for 33 times this year alone. His visits>to the National Assembly in Yerevan have been far more rare.

Global Corruption Survey Finds No Improvement In Armenia>>>By Anna Saghabalian>>>>>>Endemic government corruption in Armenia has not decreased in the>>>past year despite Armenian leaders' assurances they are addressing>>>the problem in earnest, according to an annual global survey released>>>by an international anti-graft watchdog on Wednesday.>>>>>>The Berlin-based Transparency International again rated countries of>>>the world on a 10-point scale, with zero indicating an extremely high>>>degree of corruption as perceived by experts, entrepreneurs and>>>ordinary citizens.>>>>>>Armenia and five other states ranked 99th out of 180 nations covered>>>by Transparency International's 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index. It>>>was assigned a score of 3.0, faring slightly worse than it did in the>>>previous CPI released one year ago. The score is based on seven>>>corruption-related surveys conducted in Armenia by other>>>organizations, including the World Bank.>>>>>>Armenia was again judged to be less corrupt that most other ex-Soviet>>>states, including Russia and Azerbaijan. The latter occupies 150th>>>place in the rankings. By contrast, Armenia's other ex-Soviet>>>neighbor, Georgia, jumped to 79th place, having seen its CPI score>>>rise from 2.9 to 3.4.>>>>>>Amalia Kostanian, head of Transparency's Armenian affiliate, the>>>Center for Regional Development (CRD), said the findings of the>>>latest survey are a further indication of a lack of progress in the>>>Armenian government's stated anti-corruption efforts. She said those>>>efforts have proved ineffectual because of their heavy emphasis on>>>legal amendments and what she called a lack of government commitment>>>to rule of law.>>>>>>Kostanian argued that prosecution of senior government officials on>>>corruption charges remain extremely rare. `Risks involved in corrupt>>>practices remain very low,' she told reporters.>>>>>>The government unveiled in late 2003 and claims to have successfully>>>implemented a three-year plan of actions aimed at tackling bribery>>>and other corrupt practices. However, there is little evidence that>>>the set of mainly legislative measures has had a major impact on the>>>situation on the ground.>>>>>>Earlier this year, Kostanian resigned from a government body>>>monitoring the program's implementation in protest against its>>>perceived inactivity. The resignation followed the publication of a>>>CRD opinion poll which found that nearly two-thirds of Armenians>>>believe that corruption has actually increased in recent years.>>>>>>In a December 2006 interview with RFE/RL, the late Prime Minister>>>Andranik Markarian admitted that his government's anti-corruption>>>drive has not been `as effective as we hoped.' He said Yerevan will>>>ask Western donors to help it draw up a new strategy that will>>>`ascertain mechanisms for putting the [anti-graft] legislative>>>framework into practice.' It is not clear if his successor, Serzh>>>Sarkisian, intends to do that.>>>>>>>>>Ter-Petrosian Will Run For President, Say Allies>>>By Astghik Bedevian>>>>>>Political allies of Levon Ter-Petrosian were confident on Wednesday>>>that Armenia's former president will after all decide to participate>>>in the approaching presidential elections. They also brushed aside>>>President Robert Kocharian's warning that Ter-Petrosian should stay>>>away from politics or face renewed scrutiny of his controversial>>>track record.>>>>>>`Levon Ter-Petrosian's nomination [as a presidential candidate] is>>>irreversible. That is, it will definitely happen,' said Ararat>>>Zurabian, chairman of the Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh), the>>>former ruling party of the ex-president is the unofficial top leader.>>>>>>`As the first president said, he has not yet made a final decision>>>[to contest the vote,]' Zurabian told reporters. `But I believe>>>things are moving towards that decision.'>>>>>>In his first public speech in nearly a decade, Ter-Petrosian told>>>hundreds of supporters that he has still not decided whether to seek>>>a return to power. Still, his blistering attack on Armenia's `corrupt>>>and criminal' leadership prompted suggestions that he is leaning>>>towards a presidential run.>>>>>>Aram Sarkisian, whose radical opposition Hanrapetutyun party also>>>strongly backs Ter-Petrosian, made a similar point in an interview>>>with RFE/RL. He claimed that Ter-Petrosian, who led Armenia to>>>independence in 1991, is popular enough to return to power.>>>>>>`Our contacts with the public show that a huge section of Armenia's>>>population thinks that if a prudent, pragmatic person like Ter->>>Petrosian ... decides to stand, he will win,' said Sarkisian. `I am>>>convinced that the day after the statement by the first president [on>>>his nomination] scores of people will converge on the Yerevan square>>>with flags,' he added.>>>>>>Kocharian on Tuesday rejected Ter-Petrosian's accusations and warned>>>that his predecessor will become an `ordinary opposition politician'>>>and risk a barrage of criticism if he chooses to stand in the>>>presidential ballot. He said Armenians would be `reminded' of many>>>shortcomings which they still associate with Ter-Petrosian's>>>1990-1998 rule.>>>>>>`All questions will get appropriate answers,' commented Zurabian.>>>>>>`If they thought that their predecessors committed crimes they were>>>obliged to go to court and hold those people accountable,' Sarkisian>>>said for his part.>>>>>>Both the HHSh and Hanrapetutyun regard Ter-Petrosian as the only>>>politician capable of thwarting a planned handover of power from>>>Kocharian to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. They hope that other>>>major opposition groups will also rally around the ex-president. But>>>so far only one of them, the People's Party (HZhK) of Stepan>>>Demirchian, has been ready to consider doing that.>>>>>>Demirchian, who was Kocharian's main challenger in the last>>>presidential election, denied on Wednesday some Ter-Petrosian>>>associates' claims that his endorsement of the ex-president is a>>>forgone conclusion. `As long as the first president has not announced>>>his nomination, the HZhK can not decide to support him,' he told RFE/RL.>>>>>>Still, Demirchian made it clear that he has a high regard for Ter->>>Petrosian while agreeing with much of the criticism of Armenia's>>>former leadership. `Let us not forget that the country was at war>>>then,' he said. `There were mistakes, very negative phenomena,>>>manifestations of irresponsibility and impunity. But those negative>>>phenomena are now much more deeply rooted in our life.'>>>>>>>>>ROBERT KOCHARIAN: SHADOW ECONOMY HUGE>>>Panorama.am>>>20:43 26/09/2007>>>>>>Today President Robert Kocharian met with the leadership of the>>>country's tax service. Official information has it that the president>>>announced that the purpose of the meeting was to discover whether the>>>tax officials are able to solve problems they face, and if so by what>>>means, and what assistance they might expect.>>>>>>President Kocharian rates the most important issue to be the general>>>improvement of the work of the state tax service. "Tax statistics>>>should correspond to economic growth," he underlined. In the>>>president's opinion, the shadow economy in Armenia remains large, with>>>people doing their best to avoid tax officials and taxes in general.>>>>>>Pointing out that the issues facing the tax officials are not>>>unsolvable, the country's leader said that good results would>>>immediately be seen with the end of the shadow economy. "There are>>>serious resources available, it's just that officials must work>>>honestly, decisively," he emphasized.>>>>>>Vahram Barseghyan, head of the state tax service, presented the work>>>being done as well as problems they are currently facing. Concluding>>>the meeting, the president stressed the need for positive change and>>>reform in the tax bodies, and said that solving the problems they>>>face should remain at the center of their attention.>>>>>>Robert Kocharian assigned a supervisorial agency to report every ten>>>days as to progress being made.

His Grace Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, paid an official visit to the Armenian Church, 22-25 September 2007 at the invitation of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. The Archbishop was accompanied by Bishop Geoffrey Rowell, Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe and Anglican Co-Chair of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox Joint International Commission and Bishop David Stancliffe, the Bishop of Salisbury. This visit follows the official visit of His Holiness Karekin II to the Church of England in 2004. These reciprocal visits have offered the opportunity to experience the particularities of the life and mission of both Churches in their historical and modern contexts. At the conclusion of the visit the Catholicos of All Armenians and the Archbishop of Canterbury jointly signed the following communique:

Joint Communique of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians and His Grace Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury at the conclusion of the Archbishop's visit to the Armenian Church 22-25 September 2007

We rejoice that on the occasion of reciprocal visits to the Church of England (2004) and the Armenian Church (2007), we have each participated as brothers in the Divine Liturgy of our Churches and spent time together with our brother bishops, priests and faithful in both prayer and worship. This present visit has been a wonderful opportunity to experience some of the fullness of the life of the Church in Armenia. In addition to visiting a number of monasteries and seminaries, we have together seen at first hand, examples of the pastoral outreach of the Armenian Church to some of the most needy in Armenian society, including the young - both those studying and learning new skills at the youth centres run by the Church and others serving a time of detention in the correctional facility at Abovian, where chaplains provide for the spiritual needs of the inmates. We were heartened to see new churches being built in rapidly developing urban areas - a sure sign of new life in both our Churches.

We have had discussions with the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia - their Excellencies Robert Kocharian and Serge Sargsian - as well as with the Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian.

For our Churches and, we believe, for the well-being of our societies the continuing development of fruitful and mutually respectful relations between Church and State is crucial. The Church must always be a sign of the unconditional love of God in the midst of His people. In spreading and teaching the Word of God in the world we must be loving, truthful and fearless, always finding ways to speak honestly and openly, in a spirit of charity and love, to all our brothers and sisters, and to the government and public authorities in our two countries.

We have both been deeply moved to participate in a special ceremony of prayer and recollection at the Memorial to the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan, where we were joined by our brothers and sisters of the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches in a service of remembrance for the victims of genocide everywhere. At the end of this blessed time together we acknowledge with deep gratitude the many blessings of Almighty God that have sprung from the long and close relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Armenian Church.

We welcome the establishment of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox Joint International Commission in 2001 and believe that the significant Christological agreement reached by the Commission at its first meeting in 2002 in Holy Etchmiadzin demonstrates the importance of this continuing theological dialogue between the family of Oriental Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion.

We express our sadness at the temporary suspension of this dialogue, and with great hope in our hearts for the future; we look forward to an early resumption of the work of the Commission.

We thank God for the great gift of friendship between ourselves, and our two churches, and pray earnestly that the fruit of these friendships will be manifest in the lives and witness of the members of our churches and especially in their faithful witness to God's love for us in Christ Jesus.

Thursday, 27 September 2007

During the recent three years trends of population increase have been observed in Armenia, said Head of the Department of Population Census and Demography of the Armenian National Statistical Service Karine Kyumjyan.

"Before 2003 the indices of migration exceeded the population increase, and the demographic situation did not improve, but starting from 2003 demography has become better and accounted for the natural population increase," she said.

Kyumjyan noted if in 1985-1990 in Armenia 80,000 children were born annually, in 2002 the index reduced by 32,000, but recently a comparative increase has been observed at the level of 37,000 annually. In 52.1% of these cases the child is a firstborn, and in 12.7% - third or more.

She said that Armenia gradually transfers from the model of large families to that of 1-2 children.

"In the 90s the reproductive performance index was 2.6 children. In 2006 it reached 1.35, and in this period the number of children living till the reproductive age reduced twice," she added.

She also pointed to the problem of the reduction in registered marriages.

She noted that in 2006 the number of marriages was 16,000 against 28,000 in 1990. The correlation of the number of divorces towards marriages increased. In 2006, 1,700 couples divorced against 4,000 in 1990.

Kyumjyan noted that the average duration of the first marriage increased from 25.5 years in 1990 to 28 years in 2005. At the same time she said that in this period the average index of life expectancy increased from 67.9 to 73 for men, and from 73.4 to 76.5 for women.

Armenia may receive a status of a country with market economy within a year, Armenian Minister of Trade and Economic Development Nerses Yeritsian told journalists.

According to him, several economic issues are on the agenda of Armenia - EU discussions, among them establishment of a free trade regime, provision of an improved GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) regime, and recognition of Armenia as a country with a market economy.

These are long processes, Yeritsian said, but the declaring of a free trade regime and an improved regime of GSP are the most important ones for Armenia as they relate to the goods market.

"Yet, the most prospective issue that may be solved in the near future is the recognition of Armenia as a country with a market economy; in this we can achieve success in a half a year or a year if we make effective efforts," Yeritsian said.

According to him, the remaining issues, after a preliminary discussion, will be passed on to the President Robert Kocharian who is to raise them during his visit to Brussels in the first half of October.

Armenia ranked the 34th in the report of the World Bank and the International Financial Corporation "Doing Business 2007", taking the lead among the countries of the region and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Based on the classification of "Indicator of economic freedom 2006" of 161 countries published by the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation, Armenia improved its position from the 42nd in 2005 to 27th.

According to the results of the research by the Heritage Foundation, the level of freedom of Armenia's economy is at 69.4% out of 100% possible. The business freedom index is 84.5%; the other indices are as follows: trade freedoms 75.6%, fiscal freedoms 93.1%, freedom from interference of state in economy 91.6%, monetary freedoms 79.7%, investment freedoms 60%, financial freedoms 70%, property rights 30%, freedom from corruption 29%, and freedom on labor market 80.9%. The document also says that a low inflation level is recorded in Armenia and that the country's banking sector is completely privatized and well managed.

Armenia will refuse a 200 million euro ($283 million) loan from the European Union to close its only atomic power plant, a government official said Tuesday, reiterating that the country currently has no other major source for electricity.

The impoverished former Soviet republic has been under persistent pressure from the EU and others to shut down the aging Soviet-built Medzamor reactor due to safety concerns.

Located about 30 kilometers (20 miles) west of the capital Yerevan, the plant was taken out of operation after a devastating 1988 earthquake, but returned to service in 1995 amid a severe energy shortage. It currently supplies nearly 40 percent of the country's power.

EU envoy Gunnar Wiegand told reporters in Yerevan that the bloc was again ready to provide loans to close Medzamor.

"We call on the Armenian authorities to quickly close the station. This atomic plant cannot function safely for very long," he said. "However, we recognize the necessity to find alternative sources of energy for the energetic development of Armenia and to preserve its rate of growth."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir Karapetian said the proposal for closing Medzamor was presented as part of the country's cooperation agreement with the EU.

"We have no disagreement on the need to close the station," he said, "but we cannot today take this step without alternative sources of energy. Armenia is undertaking serious steps in this direction."

Energy Minister Armen Movsisian has said the only real alternative to shutting Medzamor would be building a new atomic plant at a cost of at least 2 billion euros ($283 billion).

The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, head of the worldwide communion of Anglican Churches, ended on Tuesday a four-day visit to Armenia which he said will strengthen their cordial ties with the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Williams was greeted by Catholicos Of All Armenians Garegin II at the Armenian Church headquarters in Echmiadzin on Saturday.

`During your visit we will have an opportunity to jointly pray for and reflect on cooperation, love and unity of the Christian Churches and further strengthen the existing friendly links between the Armenian and Anglican Churches,' Garegin said, according to his press office.

The two clergymen spent the next three days visiting churches and other religious institutions in Echmiadzin, Yerevan and other parts of the country. They also attended on Monday an official reception organized by the British embassy in Armenian in connection with the 81st birthday anniversary of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. The diplomatic event was held at Garegin's official residence in Echmiadzin.

Williams, accompanied by Garegin, was received by President Robert Kocharian before leaving Yerevan the next day. Kocharian's office quoted the Anglican leader as praising the `centuries-old history of friendly relations' between the two churches. `He and the Catholicos of All Armenians reaffirmed their readiness to continue and reinforce them,' it said.

Williams' itinerary in Armenia also included a visit to a prison near the town of Abovian where he familiarized himself with the plight of its more than 150 inmates, all of them women and juveniles. `My impression is that conditions are improving,' he told reporters there. `There is still some way to go. But I have seen conditions in other countries that are worse than these.'

Williams and Garegin took a particular interest in a 7-year-old girl who was born in the prison just months after her pregnant mother was jailed for murder. The 27-year-old woman told them that her main wish is to be able to raise her daughter in freedom.

ArmInfo. The process of the Armenian Genocide recognition in Great Britain is going forward, though very slowly, Head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams told ArmInfo. He recalled that the independent Welsh Assembly has already recognized the Armenian Genocide. "That time, I was working in Wales and I was able to take part there. I was one of the first officials along with the first minister of Wales who recognized the Genocide. My hope and trust is, as time goes on, looking at the issue will be possible in the United Kingdom. It will not be a matter of looking back, but laying the foundation for establishment of firmer relations.

Moreover, it is also important as part of our whole resistance to genocide everywhere to know",- R. Williams said.

To recall, Head of the Anglican Church is in Armenia with reciprocal visit, by invitation of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.

PRESS RELEASEThe Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA)DEVOTION TO NATION AND TO THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY THEARMENIAN LEGION IN WORLD WAR I

Next year will mark the 90th anniversary an of event largely forgotten today, the victory of the volunteer Armenian Legion over a combined Turkish/German force at the Battle of Arara, in Palestine, on September 19, 1918.

To commemorate that Armenian victory, as well as to recall the momentous story of the Armenian Legion during and immediately following World War I, the Armenian Library and Museum of America has prepared a traveling exhibit documenting, with photographs and narratives, the formation, training, military action, and postwar activities of this all-volunteer force.

The story of the Armenian Legion during World War I reflects the community's attempts to come to grips with the destruction and devastation following the Armenian Genocide. It also represents thesuccessful efforts of Armenians from different social, economic and political backgrounds to work together for a common cause. The Legion encompassed a group of remarkable individuals, some officers, others of no special rank or distinction - who volunteered throughout the diaspora, overcoming tremendous difficulties in order to serve their people and nation courageously, often at great personal sacrifice. Their lives are well worth remembering.

One of these individuals, Hagop Arevian, provides an example of the dedication exhibited by the Legionnaires under extraordinary circumstances. Born in 1894 in a small village near Sebastia (Turkey), he experienced the tragedy and dislocation that have affected so many Armenians. His family miraculously survived the massacres ordered by Sultan Abdul Hamid in 1894-1896, and moved to the capital of Constantinople (Istanbul), where Hagop's father, Nazareth, obtained workas a port supervisor. However Nazareth was soon arrested and imprisoned by Ottoman officials on charges of illegal political activism. Despite repeated appeals to the authorities, even to the Sultan himself, Nazareth remained in prison and ultimately died there.

Hagop received his education in Mekhitarist schools in the capital, and in 1914 he went to Alexandria, Egypt, to join his older brother. With the outbreak of World War I, he resolved to fight for the Allies and he went to Marseilles, France, to volunteer for the French Foreign Legion.After training in Algeria, he joined the French Army in France. On leave in Paris, he met Boghos Nubar Pasha and learned of the plans to form the Armenian Legion to fight with the French- British forces in the MiddleEast; as part of the plan the Armenians were promised autonomy in the regions of Cilicia, southern Turkey, which had been allocated to France,according to World War I secret agreements between the Allies (France, England, and Russia).

Arevian, now a corporal first class, returned to the battlefield in France and was seriously wounded at Vitry-le-Francois. Receiving the valued Croix de Guerre, he was detached from the Foreign Legion in 1917 and assigned to the Armenian Legion, which was then training in Cyprus.He left France aboard the ship "Caledonia," which was subsequently shipwrecked near Port Said, Egypt, and saved by a Japanese counter-torpedo boat.

After helping to train the Armenian volunteers in Cyprus, Arevian joined the Legion as it marched to Palestine to join in the campaign being waged by British General Edmund Allenby. As a member of the Fifth Battalion, Arevian participated in the Legion's victory at the Battle of Arara (near Rafat, Palestine) against a combined Turkish/German Armycommanded by Mustapha Kemal (later Ataturk). The victory marked the collapse of the Turkish/German forces and culminated in the end of the war in November 1918.

Marching north with General Allenby's forces, Arevian joined other Legionnaires in rescuing Armenian women and children who had survived the death marches of the Genocide. The Armenian Legion was now assigned to occupy Cilicia. Lt. Col. Louis Romieu, commander of the Legion, granted Arevian's request for his section to have the honor of being the first to land in Cilicia, at the port of Mersin, but did not allow Arevian to carry with him the flag of the Armenian Republic; instead Arevian was ordered to take the French tricolor. Arevian was subsequently stationed in Adana, the center of the French occupation in Cilicia., where he served for the following two years.

By 1920 the political landscape had shifted drastically. France turned Cilicia over to the Turkish nationalists, thus abandoning thousands of Armenian who had returned to their homes under the promise of French occupation and protection. France quietly disbanded the Armenian Legion, and Arevian (now a citizen of France) returned to Egypt, where he married and established a family and a successful business.

In 1939, Arevian became an early supporter of the French resistance against Nazi Germany and became one of the first members of the General De Gaulle's Free French Forces. From 1940 to 1945 he organized a hospice for soldiers of the resistance, a museum of the war, and created acircle of benefactors and volunteers to assist the French military. In recognition of these services, he was awarded the French Medal of Resistance in 1946, and over the next decade concentrated on his business in Egypt.

In 1956, however, his life was disrupted once again as he and his wife were expelled from Egypt, given only 48 hours to pack and leave the country. He moved to Paris, where he became an Officer of the Legion of Honor and was given the privilege of rekindling the flame at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc of Triumph in 1959. He died in Paris in 1965.

In recognition of the importance of remembering the Legionnaires and their devotion to their nation and to the cause of liberty, the Armenian Library and Museum of America has prepared a traveling exhibit, "Forgotten Heroes: The Armenian Legion in World War I." More information about the Legion and about the exhibit is available by contacting ALMA at 65 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472; Tel: 617-926-2562, web: AlmaInc.org, or email Gamavor @almainc.org.

About ALMAFounded in 1971, ALMA's mission is to present and preserve the culture, history, art and contributions of the Armenian people to Americans and Armenians alike. Since its inception, ALMA's collection has grown to over 18,000 books and 20,000 artifacts, making it perhaps the largest and most diverse holding of Armenian cultural artifacts outside of Armenia. As a repository for heirlooms, the collection now represents a major resource not only for Armenian studies research, but as well as for preservation and illustration of the Armenian heritage. In 1988,ALMA acquired a 30,000 square foot facility in Watertown, MA - one of North America's oldest and most active Armenian communities. The facility includes exhibition galleries, Library, administrative offices, function hall, climate-controlled vaults and conservation lab.

ALMA is the only independent Armenian Museum in the Diaspora funded solely through contributions of individual supporters. An active Board of Trustees and volunteer base augments the museum's staff. Museum's active schedule of changing exhibits includes the use of the libraryprimarily by researchers and interested general public seeking research materials on Armenians. In addition, the museum sponsors lecture and presentation program on related topics.

Hours: Friday and Sunday 1-5 P.M., Saturday 10 A.M.-2 P.M. and Thursday evenings from 6-9 P.M. Admission: ALMA members are free/ $2 for non-members. Children under 14 are free.

(added in to show that attitudes in "modern" Turkey seem no different to Ottoman days]

Following the chairman of the Ýzmir bar council, the Erzurum bar council chairman also praised the song in question, by saying: "There will always be Oguns and Yasins in this country."

The chairman of the Erzurum bar council Naci Turan, supported the song by Ýsmail Turut, which idolizes the suspects in the Hrant Dink murder, by saying "the song does not praise either the crime or the criminals."

Surprising statement from Erzurum's bar council chairman

Erzurum's bar council chairman Turan defended the song by Ýsmail Turut and Ozan Arif, which has instigated an investigation for the praising of Dink's assassination.

After the chairman of Ýzmir's bar council Nevzat Erdemir, the Erzurum bar council chairman Naci Turan also defended that the song by Ýsmail Turut called "Do not make any plans" does not praise either the crime or the criminal. Turan said: "the investigation has been opened due to the provocations by the media fostered by the Armenian Diaspora."

Turan said he examined the song by Ýsmail Turut but did not find any statements praising the crime or the criminal. Turan said it does not make any sense that the song was passed on to jurisdiction. Turan said: "our country is going through a dark period. In his song, Ozan Arifsays do not play games in the Black Sea, I believe that these games do work in our country."

ArmInfo. The process of the Armenian Genocide recognition in GreatBritain is going forward, though very slowly, Head of the AnglicanChurch, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams told ArmInfo. Herecalled that the independent Welsh Assembly has already recognizedthe Armenian Genocide. "That time, I was working in Wales and I wasable to take part there. I was one of the first officials along withthe first minister of Wales who recognized the Genocide. My hope andtrust is, as time goes on, looking at the issue will be possiblein the United Kingdom. It will not be a matter of looking back,but laying the foundation for establishment of firmer relations.

Moreover, it is also important as part of our whole resistance togenocide everywhere to know",- R. Williams said.

To recall, Head of the Anglican Church is in Armenia with reciprocalvisit, by invitation of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.

PRESS RELEASEThe Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA)DEVOTION TO NATION AND TO THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY THEARMENIAN LEGION IN WORLD WAR I

Next year will mark the 90th anniversary an of event largely forgottentoday, the victory of the volunteer Armenian Legion over a combinedTurkish/German force at the Battle of Arara, in Palestine, on September19, 1918.

To commemorate that Armenian victory, as well as to recallthe momentous story of the Armenian Legion during and immediatelyfollowing World War I, the Armenian Library and Museum of America hasprepared a traveling exhibit documenting, with photographs andnarratives, the formation, training, military action, and postwaractivities of this all-volunteer force.

The story of the Armenian Legion during World War I reflectsthe community's attempts to come to grips with the destruction anddevastation following the Armenian Genocide. It also represents thesuccessful efforts of Armenians from different social, economic andpolitical backgrounds to work together for a common cause. The Legionencompassed a group of remarkable individuals - some officers, others ofno special rank or distinction - who volunteered throughout thediaspora, overcoming tremendous difficulties in order to serve theirpeople and nation courageously, often at great personal sacrifice. Theirlives are well worth remembering.

One of these individuals, Hagop Arevian, provides an example of thededication exhibited by the Legionnaires under extraordinarycircumstances. Born in 1894 in a small village near Sebastia (Turkey),he experienced the tragedy and dislocation that have affected so manyArmenians. His family miraculously survived the massacres ordered bySultan Abdul Hamid in 1894-1896, and moved to the capital ofConstantinople (Istanbul), where Hagop's father, Nazareth, obtained workas a port supervisor. However Nazareth was soon arrested and imprisonedby Ottoman officials on charges of illegal political activism. Despiterepeated appeals to the authorities, even to the Sultan himself,Nazareth remained in prison and ultimately died there.

Hagop received his education in Mekhitarist schools in the capital, andin 1914 he went to Alexandria, Egypt, to join his older brother. Withthe outbreak of World War I, he resolved to fight for the Allies and hewent to Marseilles, France, to volunteer for the French Foreign Legion.After training in Algeria, he joined the French Army in France. On leavein Paris, he met Boghos Nubar Pasha and learned of the plans to form theArmenian Legion to fight with the French/British forces in the MiddleEast; as part of the plan the Armenians were promised autonomy in theregions of Cilicia, southern Turkey, which had been allocated to France,according to World War I secret agreements between the Allies (France,England, and Russia).

Arevian, now a corporal first class, returned to the battlefield inFrance and was seriously wounded at Vitry-le-Francois. Receiving thevalued Croix de Guerre, he was detached from the Foreign Legion in 1917and assigned to the Armenian Legion, which was then training in Cyprus.He left France aboard the ship "Caledonia," which was subsequentlyshipwrecked near Port Said, Egypt, and saved by a Japanesecounter-torpedo boat.

After helping to train the Armenian volunteers in Cyprus, Arevian joinedthe Legion as it marched to Palestine to join in the campaign beingwaged by British General Edmund Allenby. As a member of the FifthBattalion, Arevian participated in the Legion's victory at the Battle ofArara (near Rafat, Palestine) against a combined Turkish/German Armycommanded by Mustapha Kemal (later Ataturk). The victory marked thecollapse of the Turkish/German forces and culminated in the end of thewar in November 1918.

Marching north with General Allenby's forces, Arevian joined otherLegionnaires in rescuing Armenian women and children who had survivedthe death marches of the Genocide. The Armenian Legion was now assignedto occupy Cilicia. Lt. Col. Louis Romieu, commander of the Legion,granted Arevian's request for his section to have the honor of being thefirst to land in Cilicia, at the port of Mersin, but did not allowArevian to carry with him the flag of the Armenian Republic; insteadArevian was ordered to take the French tricolor. Arevian wassubsequently stationed in Adana, the center of the French occupation inCilicia., where he served for the following two years.

By 1920 the political landscape had shifted drastically. France turnedCilicia over to the Turkish nationalists, thus abandoning thousands ofArmenian who had returned to their homes under the promise of Frenchoccupation and protection. France quietly disbanded the Armenian Legion,and Arevian (now a citizen of France) returned to Egypt, where hemarried and established a family and a successful business.

In 1939, Arevian became an early supporter of the French resistanceagainst Nazi Germany and became one of the first members of the GeneralDe Gaulle's Free French Forces. From 1940 to 1945 he organized a hospicefor soldiers of the resistance, a museum of the war, and created acircle of benefactors and volunteers to assist the French military. Inrecognition of these services, he was awarded the French Medal ofResistance in 1946, and over the next decade concentrated on hisbusiness in Egypt.

In 1956, however, his life was disrupted once again as he and his wifewere expelled from Egypt, given only 48 hours to pack and leave thecountry. He moved to Paris, where he became an Officer of the Legion ofHonor and was given the privilege of rekindling the flame at theMonument of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc of Triumph in 1959. He diedin Paris in 1965.

In recognition of the importance of remembering the Legionnaires andtheir devotion to their nation and to the cause of liberty, the ArmenianLibrary and Museum of America has prepared a traveling exhibit,"Forgotten Heroes: The Armenian Legion in World War I." More informationabout the Legion and about the exhibit is available by contacting ALMAat 65 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472; Tel: 617-926-2562, web:AlmaInc.org, or email Gamavor @almainc.org.

About ALMAFounded in 1971, ALMA's mission is to present and preserve the culture,history, art and contributions of the Armenian people to Americans andArmenians alike. Since its inception, ALMA's collection has grown toover 18,000 books and 20,000 artifacts, making it perhaps the largestand most diverse holding of Armenian cultural artifacts outside ofArmenia. As a repository for heirlooms, the collection now represents amajor resource not only for Armenian studies research, but as well asfor preservation and illustration of the Armenian heritage. In 1988,ALMA acquired a 30,000 square foot facility in Watertown, MA - one ofNorth America's oldest and most active Armenian communities. Thefacility includes exhibition galleries, Library, administrative offices,function hall, climate-controlled vaults and conservation lab.

ALMA is the only independent Armenian Museum in the Diaspora fundedsolely through contributions of individual supporters. An active Boardof Trustees and volunteer base augments the museum's staff. Museum'sactive schedule of changing exhibits includes the use of the libraryprimarily by researchers and interested general public seeking researchmaterials on Armenians. In addition, the museum sponsors lecture andpresentation program on related topics.

Following the chairman of the Ýzmir bar council, the Erzurum barcouncil chairman also praised the song in question, by saying:"There will always be Oguns and Yasins in this country."

The chairman of the Erzurum bar council Naci Turan, supported the songby Ýsmail Turut, which idolizes the suspects in the Hrant Dink murder,by saying "the song does not praise either the crime or the criminals."

Surprising statement from Erzurum's bar council chairman

Erzurum's bar council chairman Turan defended the song by ÝsmailTurut and Ozan Arif, which has instigated an investigation for thepraising of Dink's assassination.

After the chairman of Ýzmir's bar council Nevzat Erdemir, the Erzurumbar council chairman Naci Turan also defended that the song by ÝsmailTurut called "Do not make any plans" does not praise either the crimeor the criminal. Turan said: "the investigation has been opened dueto the provocations by the media fostered by the Armenian Diaspora."

Turan said he examined the song by Ýsmail Turut but did not find anystatements praising the crime or the criminal. Turan said it does notmake any sense that the song was passed on to jurisdiction. Turan said:"our country is going through a dark period. In his song, Ozan Arifsays do not play games in the Black Sea, I believe that these gamesdo work in our country."

What happens when the ideals you believe in are unpopular with your neighbours? How do you deal with pervasive stereotypes and fear? And how can you learn to cooperate when communities are divided by fear, hostility and closed borders?

International Alert and St Ethelburga's have brought together a unique panel from different sides of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, one of the world's most intractable and forgotten conflicts, to explore these questions. In this rare opportunity, four Armenian and Azerbaijani community leaders will share the challenges and successes of trying to bring together communities long divided by war.

This chance to explore examples of reconciliation in practice will not want to be missed.

Reconciling with the Other Side: Perspectives from the South Caucasus

DATE/TIME:27 September 2007, 6:30 – 8:30 pm

LOCATION:St Ethelburga's Centre, 78, Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AG

This event is being organised with members of the Consortium Initiative project working on the Nagorny Karabakh conflict. Further details to follow.

Wednesday, 26 September 2007

Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian insisted on Monday that a judge inYerevan is risking dismissal not because of his unprecedented decisionto acquit two businessmen controversially imprisoned by the Armenianauthorities.

A group of trial attorneys, meanwhile, voiced support for PargevOhanian, a judge in the court of first instance of the city's Kentronand Nork Marash districts, saying that his ouster would deal a heavyblow to judicial independence in Armenia.

The presidentially appointed Council of Justice will meet on Wednesdayto consider punitive measures against Ohanian which is sought by theJudicial Department, another government-controlled body monitoring thework of Armenian courts. The department claims that Ohanian broke thelaw in his rulings on nearly two dozen criminal and civil cases.

In an interview with RFE/RL last week, the judge implied that he ispaying the price of his July 16 verdict that cleared Gagik Hakobian, theowner of the Royal Armenia coffee packaging company, and one of its topexecutives, Aram Ghazarian, of controversial fraud charges. The two menhad been arrested in October 2005 after publicly accusing seniorArmenian customs officials of corruption.

Speaking to RFE/RL, Danielian denied any connection between thedisciplinary action and what was a rare court ruling going against thewishes of law-enforcement authorities and the National Security Service(NSS) in particular. `This is a mere coincidence,' he said. `Whether ornot the [July] ruling is unfounded will be determined by furtherjudicial proceedings [at the Court of Appeals.] That ruling can beoverturned.'

Danielian claimed that Ohanian's activities came under scrutiny monthsbefore the sensational acquittal condemned by prosecutors. `Nobody couldpredict then what the judge will rule [on the Royal Armenia case,]' hesaid.

But several prominent lawyers strongly disagreed with this, saying thatthe Armenian authorities fear that Ohanian's verdict may have set adangerous precedent for other judges who normally endorse accusationsleveled by prosecutors.

`The majority of Armenian judges, including those with a 30-year workexperience, have never passed single not-guilty verdict,' said one ofthem, Hayk Alumian. `In order to present rosy reports to Europeanstructures, the authorities probably allowed courts to hand down a fewnot-guilty verdicts a year. But as this case shows, even those fewacquittals are under strict control.'

`The question is not Pargev Ohanian's future on the bench,' said anotherattorney, Ara Ghazarian. `The question is whether or not there isjustice in the Republic of Armenia.'

The freed businessmen, who may still be sent back to prison by the Courtof Appeals, insist that the fraud case against them was brought by theNSS in retaliation for their refusal to engage in a fraud scam withsenior customs officials and its decision to publicly expose widespreadcorruption within the Armenian customs. They say the authorities fearedthat their example could encourage other local entrepreneurs tochallenge the reputedly corrupt government agency.

President Robert Kocharian reportedly expressed his displeasure with theRoyal Armenia men's acquittal at a meeting with senior judges held justdays after Ohanian's judgment. Under the Armenian constitution, thepresident of the republic appoints and can fire virtually all judges atthe recommendation of the Justice Council.

While denying any pressure on Ohanian, Danielian chided the defiantjudge for implicitly alleging government retribution. `Ohanian shoulddefend himself not in the media but at the Council of Justice,' hesaid.

A homemade video clip set to a popular folk song that allegedly praisesthe suspected killer of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink hasreceived hundreds of thousands of hits on the popular video-sharing Website YouTube.

A radio DJ says the month-old song quickly rose to become one of themost requested songs on his show after word of the YouTube clip spread.

But a human rights group has asked prosecutors to take action againstthe folk singer and the songwriter for allegedly inciting ethnic hatredand violence. Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the videothat shows Dink's dead body, followed by a heroic pose of his suspectedteenage killer, who will stand trial next week.

Folk singer Ismail Turut - who describes himself as a Muslim and anationalist - denies any links to the making of the YouTube video andsays he does not approve of Dink's murder. But the lyrics of thecontroversial song, written by Arif Ozan go: "If someone betrays his owncountry, he will be taken care of immediately."

Dink was slain outside his newspaper in January. He had been criticizedfor calling the mass killings of Armenians early in the century in thehands of Ottomans a "genocide" in defiance of the official Turkish lineand was being prosecuted for insulting the Turkish identity. Althoughthousands of Turks marched at his funeral to condemn the killing, someextreme nationalists view the teenage killer and his alleged accompliceas heroes for punishing the journalist who they feel betrayed thenation.

"He (Turut) must apologize," said Riza Dalkilic, head of Istanbul branchof the Human Rights Association who filed the complaint. The group isknown for its advocacy of minorities and freedom of expression.

Turut said he had nothing to do with the YouTube clip and insisted hissong is harmless. He was speaking a day after he and the writer of thesong testified to a prosecutor to explain the meaning of their work."Even if I have 40 heads and they chop off all of them, I will notapologize for even a letter (of the song)," said Turut. "Who has beensubject to the slightest of harm because of my song?"

The killings of Armenians constitutes a shadowy part of Turkish historythat predates the modern republic. Up to 1.5 million Armenians werekilled from 1915 to 1917 in what Armenians and others say was agenocide. Turkey insists the numbers are inflated and that the killingsoccurred during a time of civil unrest during the collapse of theOttoman Empire.

The slain journalist is not the only Turkish intellectual hated forexpressing his opinion. Nobel literature laureate Orhan Pamuk is reviledby many Turks, mostly ultra-nationalists, for talking about the killingsof ethnic Armenians and Kurds. He reportedly received many deaththreats.

The European Union, which Turkey is vying to be a member of, has askedAnkara to remove restrictions on freedom of expression such as the penalcode article which bars insulting the Turkish identity. Despitegrumbling by some Cabinet members regarding the article, a sweepingchange seems unlikely in the short term.

Ironically, Turut and Arif also say their song should be tolerated iffreedom of expression really exists. "I feel like a victim in myhomeland for defending some of our values" Turut said. "Don't I have theright to freedom of expression?"

Yerevan, 12 September: The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group willarrive in the region by the end of this week to meet the presidentsof Armenia and the Nagornyy Karabakh republic, Armenian Prime MinisterSerzh Sargsyan said in parliament while answering MPs' questions.

Sargsyan expressed confidence that today there is no serious threatto Nagornyy Karabakh's security, even if we take account of thedevelopment of Azerbaijan's economy which has been growing at theexpense of oil resources. "If we are more careful and try to analyzestatements by the Azerbaijani leadership, we will see that they havenot achieved their goal," the prime minister noted.

Sargsyan recalled that [Azerbaijani president] Ilham Aliyev hadpledged that the 2007 military budget of the Azerbaijani Republicwould equal the entire budget of Armenia.

"They failed to do this. Armenia's budget in 2008 will total 2.5bndollars and Armenia's military expenditure will equal the entirebudget of Armenia in 1998. I have information that Azerbaijan'sbudget in 2008 will total 6-6.5bn dollars from which 1bn will bemilitary expenditure. The Armenian leadership, and in particular,the president are doing everything possible to ensure a balance offorces in the region," Sargsyan said.

Armavia is also expected to acquire an option to buy another twoSuperJet 100s, the spokesman said.

Sukhoi Civil Aircraft is developing the SuperJet 100 regional aircraftjointly with U.S. aircraft producer Boeing. The first test flightof the SuperJet 100 is expected to take place before the end of thisyear and mass production is expected to start in 2008.

Sukhoil Civil Aircraft is a subsidiary of Russian aircraft makerSukhoi, which is in turn controlled by the United Aircraft BuildingCorporation (UAC).